A Battle Writer's Blueprint
by NanobotEX
Summary: This is both a one-shot story and a guide for any Pokémon writers looking for advice on writing good Pokémon battle scenes in their stories. Join me as I construct a battle scene between the Lumiose Gym Leader and a fiery Hoenn native named Kylian.


Hello there! Welcome to the wide world of fiction generated by Pokémon fans. What follows here is a guide to newer or inexperienced writers, or really anybody looking to improve their ability to effectively write that most quintessential of events in this world; the Pokémon battle. Please be aware that this isn't just author notes; there's a story developed throughout this guide, and therefore this should fall safely within FanFiction's content guidelines.

Before I begin, allow me to humbly note that the advice I'm giving is no more than my personal formula. I've been told my battles are pretty good, but everyone has different tastes, so don't take what I say as law. As a wise pirate once said; consider these to be "more like guidelines than actual rules".

For the purposes of not being boring, I've asked my OC, Milo, (for context, see my story Milo and the Blue Umbreon) to help me out. Don't worry, I'll use all original examples so as to avoid spoilers.

"What, so I can't battle against A-"

NO. No you can't. And stop that, I know what you're up to. I literally _just said_ no spoilers. Sorry, never mind the interruption. Let's get going;

 **Tip 1 - Context is Everything**

The best battles engage the reader without distracting from the overarching story. In fact, they should add to it, even reinforce some of the things that are going on beyond the scope of the battle at hand. A sad Trainer doesn't just become magically "okay" once a battle starts, that turmoil can affect their battling ability.

As most writers will tell you - show, don't tell. To that end, I'll build an example scene over the course of this guide to demonstrate my advice.

"That's why I'm here, yeah? I'm up against someone as an example?"

No, Milo, sorry. You're here purely as a reference. Let me know if I get any of the battling nuances wrong. I'm just the writer, after all; you're the expert. Besides, no spoilers, so I don't want to use your team.

"Dang it. Fair enough, I guess, but that's a serious buzzkill, Nano."

I know, I know...sorry. Anyway, let's work out the context of our example. Let's imagine a young Trainer named Kylian.

Kylian is a Rookie Trainer from Littleroot, in Hoenn, who has chosen to make his first journey through the Kalos region. He's quite talented, but perhaps not as talented as he _thinks_ he is. Kylian has a travelling companion; a certain Erika from Kanto who just adores Grass types. In fact, she was named after her mother, one of the region's most beloved Gym Leaders, who focuses exclusively on Grass Pokémon. She's more subdued than her feisty friend Kylian, but she's not short on brains – just what you'd expect from a Gym Leader's daughter. She's quite cheerful, and people often mistake her for a bit of a bimbo, much to their chagrin when she casually dismantles them using only one type.

Now, Kylian has been whipping through the Kalos Gyms with a good bit of ease, which has really stroked his ego. He's supremely confident heading into his battle with Clemont at the Lumiose Gym. Clemont has aged gracefully in the few years since his journey with Ash Ketchum, and Bonnie is now his assistant at the Gym. Kylian will have to get through her to reach her brother. He's got some extra motivation, since Erika went first and fairly handily dispatched both Bonnie and Clemont with her type advantage. Kylian feels like he has to keep pace with his Kantoan travelling friend if he's got any hope of turning that companionship into something more...romantic. Or maybe – perhaps there's an even bigger, much darker reason for Kylian to be so desperate for victory.

We could go on and on, but that should be enough to get us off the ground with this scene.

"I recognize this setup. He's going to win in dramatic fashion but learn his lesson in the process, right? Maybe get the girl when it all shakes out in his favor?"

Well, we'll see, Milo. Thank you for providing me a perfect transition.

 **Tip 2 - Have a 'point B' in mind**

A battle that you write one move at a time can tend to flow very poorly. It's tempting to just come up with one cool sequence after another, but you should always generate a high-level plan before you get overly specific.

First, who's going to win?

"Whoever you want. You're literally the author, you pick all the winners."

Not necessarily. I'm not asking 'who do I want to win', I'm asking about who would _realistically_ win under the given circumstances that we outlined in our context section above. Battles have to fall within the limits of believability. If something crazy happens, that's okay, but it has to have a reason for happening.

The philosophy of 'I win miraculously because I feel like it, so accept it' is going to turn many readers off because it makes your story feel fake.

Now, let's see this in action. Kylian's got skill, and he's got a Sceptile that's pretty strong (for team notes, see Tip 3 below), so he should do well in this Gym. Bonnie's no slouch, but type advantage plays a big role, so he will probably get past her, though it may not be easy. The Leader is another story.

"You make it sound like he'll be less than prepared for Clemont. Underestimating a Gym Leader is always bad news."

You've hit the nail on the head, Milo. Gym Leaders are _very_ good at fighting from a type disadvantage, and Clemont's renowned for strategy and quick thinking in battle. Confidence and one decent Grass type isn't enough to sweep him.

"So...Kylian's going to lose? That's bold, having the main Trainer lose a Gym battle."

Exactly the point. It's unexpected (to some degree, I know it's become something of a trope within OC Trainer stories), but believable because I've established the context of him being overconfident. We have a credible reason for him to lose.

So, now we have a context and an outline. Kylian feels the pressure, beats Bonnie without _too_ much trouble, but loses to Clemont due to his impulsive, reckless confidence in his own ability, as well as Clemont's own extraordinary ability to fight from a disadvantage and punish Kylian's weaknesses.

 **Tip 3 - Preparation improves consistency**

You should know your Trainer's team just as well as you know the Trainer. Whenever I write battles, I have very specific notes that I reference almost constantly, detailing which Trainers have which Pokémon, and what their exact moves are.

"Speaking as one of those Trainers, that sounds really creepy. Just so you know. Stalker."

I'm the author, bro. This is _literally my job_. Are you going to be helpful or just make snarky comments the whole time?

"Hey, snarky comments are very helpful! Respect the sass, Nano. Respect it."

Oh I do. After all, I wrote you. But you need to respect the fact that I haven't finished your story yet. I could still screw you over, pal. That's right; I'm playing the author card. ANYWAY…

Here are the notes I've come up with for the Pokémon teams that will be involved in this scene:

Kylian:

Sceptile - Dual Chop, Fury Cutter, Mega Drain, Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Quick Attack

Pyroar - Flamethrower, Crunch, Hyper Voice, Headbutt, Fire Fang, Ember

Pangoro - Arm Thrust, Karate Chop, Crunch, Low Sweep, Slash, Bullet Punch

Bonnie:

Dedenne - Thundershock, Tackle, Nuzzle, Volt Switch, Thunder Wave, Play Rough

Helioptile - Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Mud Slap, Pound, Agility, Volt Switch

Emolga - Volt Switch, Pursuit, Nuzzle, Acrobatics, Thundershock, Quick Attack

Clemont:

Luxray - Swift, Electric Terrain, Discharge, Wild Charge, Thunder Fang, Fire Fang

Heliolisk - Quick Attack, Grass Knot, Thunderbolt, Parabolic Charge, Razor Wind, Thunder

Magneton - Electric Terrain, Thunderbolt, Mirror Shot, Magnet Bomb, Tri Attack, Shock Wave

So there you have it. The stage is set, and it's about time we got the players moving!

"Wait, whoa. You're not planning on explaining how the heck you came up with - well, any of that? At all? You can't just drop that in there and move on."

Technically, yes, I could. But you're right, for once -

"For once? Please, you sore loser."

STOP IT! Because I am such a _good_ and _gracious_ author I have decided to explain my notes. Ahem.

First, let's talk about where the teams came from. Clemont's is the easiest, so let's start there. This is a mix of Clemont's Gym team from the X/Y games, and his Luxray, which was thrown in as a reference to the anime, as well as to increase the 'fear factor' of his team. I find it a much more nerve-wracking opponent than Emolga. That's a stylistic choice on my part; I am of the opinion that Gym Leader teams should be daunting, and have the toughness to justify their intimidating aura. The move sets have been expanded to six because I think four moves severely limits the author's ability to make battles interesting and diverse.

"You've also stacked that Leader's deck, so to speak. That's a _lot_ of trick moves."

Good point. Yes, Clemont has many trick moves like Parabolic Charge, Thunder Wave, and Volt Switch. This fits his style; he's incredibly smart, and will use strategy more than strength to earn his victory.

That idea also brings us naturally to Bonnie's team. This presents more of an opportunity for imagination, since only Dedenne is 'given' to us from the 'canon' universe. Now then, what do we know of Bonnie contextually? She's the Gym assistant, so her team should consist of Pokémon similar to what Clemont has, but perhaps watered down a bit. She's talented, but not as strong as Clemont. Personally, we also know Bonnie has a huge tendency towards cute Pokémon. So, three cute Electric Pokémon with trick moves (but not as many as Clemont), with Dedenne as a required inclusion. Voila, Bonnie's team in a nutshell!

"I can tell you about Kylian. Looks like he got his starter in Hoenn before switching regions, and he's got a thing for intimidating Pokémon. Not really the best type coverage, but it's not a _bad_ team. Hopefully he's got the good sense to leave that Sceptile as an ace in the hole. Why is it a Sceptile, anyway? Wouldn't a Grovyle feel less...I don't know, overpowered? It's only the fifth Gym, after all."

Fair point. This is one of the 'realism' elements I've tossed in from the games. Clemont's X/Y team hovers around level 36. Kylian has been flying through these Gyms, so we can assume he's a bit over-leveled. This means each of his Pokémon is at or above 36, which would put his starter safely in Sceptile range, not Grovyle. Still, that's a good consideration to make, to help keep pacing and team growth consistent and believable. Again, this isn't a set in stone rule, but if you're going to break this pattern, please have a well-established reason for doing so.

Whew. That was lots of explanation. This part of the process is critical to your battle scene, you _really_ should give the team and move selection due diligence before writing the full scene. For reference, the above notes took me just over half an hour of research and consideration. If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask me in a PM, but in the interest of not overdoing it, I'm moving on for now.

 **Tip 4 - One outline is one outline too few**

I recommend making what I call a battle skeleton based on your notes and your high-level outline. A battle skeleton establishes the raw progression of the battle without adding the drama and fluff that will make it really click.

This is probably best understood via demonstration. Let's go back to our new friend Kylian; specifically his first battle against Bonnie.

"This is the one he wins, right?"

Yes, Kylian is going to win. Let's remember, though, that Bonnie's no pushover. So Kylian wins, but not too easily. Bonnie makes him work for it, probably with some of those trick moves. That way, we establish Kylian's weakness against that kind of battling strategy, lending further credibility to his eventual loss to Clemont. Note the symbiotic relationship between battles and their context.

Now, the battle. Milo, I may need your help on this, Mr. Expert. Your analysis, please?

"Finally, I get to actually do something. Sheesh, I thought you'd never ask! Let's see. Kylian feels impulsive. He'll want to score a big win, so he'll probably open with that Sceptile."

I'd agree. Let's say Bonnie opens with her Helioptile, not for any particular reason. Kylian's Sceptile probably gets through it with few issues.

"Yeah, a well-trained Sceptile with his move set would be fine in that matchup. If I'm Bonnie, though, I would Volt Switch into Emolga, for the half type advantage."

Hmm, good point. We can't give her that move and then have her inexplicably _not_ use it. So, Bonnie has Helioptile get one or two hits in, then pulls a Volt Switch to bring out Emolga.

"That'll probably throw Kylian for a loop, right?"

Yeah, he's not ready for that kind of trickery. Still, his overconfidence is enough justification for him to leave Sceptile in.

"Let's be honest, type advantage isn't everything. Emolga still would lose that, surely."

Right you are, my friend. So Sceptile takes a beating from Acrobatics but manages a sloppy win. That brings Helioptile back out. What do you think? Does Sceptile go down next?

"Hmm...Probably not. Even a tired Sceptile is more than enough for an unevolved Electric type like Helioptile. Still, if it lands some good hits in the process, Dedenne can probably safely finish it off."

Agreed. So Sceptile barely gets through Emolga and Helioptile, before going down to Dedenne. Kylian isn't stupid; he knows Pangoro would be at a big disadvantage against Emolga's Fairy typing. He'll call on Pyroar next. Pyroar is strong enough to handle Dedenne, and Kylian wins, but it's not as one-sided as he hoped it would be.

"Great. Now the big one, yeah?"

Yep. Time for Kylian versus Clemont. We know Clemont wins, but the question is _how_ does the whole thing shake out?

"Well, Kylian might lose, but he doesn't have to get crushed. With his team, this would never be a one-sided victory, even for a Leader."

Perfect. Now, the smart play for our young friend would be to keep Sceptile in reserve as a trump card late in the battle, but he's quite brash and he'll likely open with his starter yet again.

"Clemont will expect that, the guy's a genius and an amazing strategist."

Oh, definitely. He has a great counter for Grass types too, in Magneton. That decides it; Clemont will lead with Magneton.

"Kylian has that Pyroar, though. If he's smart he'll make the switch."

Ah, but you forget; he doesn't want to admit he made a mistake in leading with Sceptile. He'll leave his Grass type in for a bit, until he can see it's not going to end well. Then, and only then, he'll make the switch.

"Good. Pyroar should burn through Magneton, but not without taking some hits."

This is where Clemont's tricks really start to make the difference. Heliolisk is up after Magneton, and Parabolic Charge wreaks havoc on Pyroar. Looking to press the emergency button and regain control, Kylian switches back into Sceptile.

"Hmm...Sceptile versus Heliolisk. That's a tough one to call."

It is indeed. However, Sceptile has been worn down by Magneton already, so Heliolisk narrowly claims the win, using speed and – once again – that nasty Parabolic Charge move.

"That leaves Pangoro to finish the job. I'm guessing he beats Heliolisk but doesn't have enough in the tank to get past Luxray."

That's the plan. Now, let's recap what we've got:

Kylian vs Bonnie – We open with Sceptile and Helioptile, before Bonnie Volt Switches into Emolga. Sceptile powers through Emolga and Helioptile, but loses to Dedenne. Pyroar comes out and gets a sloppy win over Dedenne; the battle goes to Kylian.

Kylian vs Clemont – Open with Sceptile vs Magneton. Kylian tries to force it before switching to Pyroar. Despite taking significant damage, Pyroar beats Magneton. Heliolisk, using mostly Parabolic Charge, wrecks Pyroar and the pre-weakened Sceptile. Pangoro finally beats Heliolisk but loses to Luxray. The battle goes to Clemont.

 **Tip 5 - Go with the flow**

I'll give you just a few more tidbits of advice before we assemble our carefully crafted battle scene. The demonstration for these last tips will be wrapped into the full scene at the end.

These are more 'advanced' tips (or maybe just more nit-picky) on how best to flesh out the scene and make it come alive.

"Enough disclaimers. Out with it, you."

Don't rush me, kid. We'll get there when we get there.

One small tip which I'll just mention briefly, is that variety is the spice of life, and also of your battle. If you have a Pikachu battling, don't always call it 'Pikachu'. That's boring and makes your scene feel choppy.

Don't say "Pikachu used Thunderbolt, but it missed. Pikachu was forced to dodge the incoming counterattack. Then, Pikachu found an opening for a Volt Tackle. Pikachu's attack was successful and it won the battle."

Instead, how about this; "Pikachu proudly launched his favorite attack, but was dismayed to see it flash wide of the target. The little Electric type didn't have much time to dwell on this, though, as a counterattack came flying in hard and fast. Breathing heavily, Ash's starter shut off his brain and fought purely on instinct. Without conscious thought, he felt a split second opening and whirled about to fire off a Volt Tackle. His opponent wasn't ready for his raw speed, and took the hit, at last falling unconscious to the dirt. The famous Mouse Pokémon was once again victorious."

Calling things by different names than just their given title allowed us to expand the scene and really make it come to life. We were able to reference Pikachu by four different names, making the battle flow (in my opinion) much more smoothly.

This concept of 'flow', or pacing, if you like that word better, is one of the hardest things to write out correctly. The flow of your battle can make or break the whole thing.

Do NOT do this:

"Leaf Blade!"

"Quick Attack!"

"Fury Cutter!"

"Thunderbolt!"

"Dual Chop!"

"Volt Switch!"

Helioptile disappeared and was replaced by Emolga.

This kind of writing is really hard to engage with. You may be trying to make the battle move quickly, but we can't read your mind; we don't know what that looks like. Guide the reader's imagination.

At the same time, try not to hit the other extreme. If something fast happens in the battle, it should go by just as quickly in writing. Don't give us three paragraphs about a Tackle attack. Guide their imagination, but make sure you leave some room for that imagination to work its magic.

There's no perfect formula here, and finding a good balance point comes with experience and feedback, and depends highly on personal taste. My default is kind of a four-step process:

Trainers call their moves

Show the moves in action, how they interact with and affect the Pokémon

Short action break, maybe give us one of the Trainer's thoughts or something

Repeat, add variation if it feels needed

Again, this is a _very_ fluid formula, and one I only mostly follow myself. At the end of the day, the best way to check this is to take a step back and read your scene or have someone else read it. Think about how it 'feels', because that will usually give you a good idea of your pacing. If it feels exciting and/or satisfying, you've done well. If it 'feels' rushed or boring, pacing may be a reason why.

 **Tip 6 - Context is still everything**

Battles never take place in a blank space with nothing going on around them. A realistic battle will likely be affected by its setting, or vice versa.

"Let me just jump in and say, as a Trainer, that couldn't be more true. Big stadium battles are _so different_ from training bouts or rival battles, etc. Every battle is different."

Thank you, resident expert. While we're at it, any advice for newer Trainers on pressure situations?

"Erm...They're a good thing? It's okay to feel pressure. Deal with it, but don't ignore it."

Interesting...okay, moving on. I typically throw in a context reminder every so often (see step 3 in the above process) as a respite from the intensity of a battle. It's a good way to allow your reader to 'take a breath' without losing any of the emotion you've been building.

These reminders can serve any number of purposes; maybe your Trainer's friend throws in a snarky comment or cheers them on, maybe a rival says something that really sets their blood boiling. Weather is a thing too; maybe it's hard to see through all the fog, or the bright sun makes it harder to dodge attacks coming from above. Is there a crowd? If so, how are they reacting to the battle? Do they love the fierce back-and-forth? Is there a clear crowd favorite? Are they bored by a defensive battle, or shocked by a dirty play? All these things can really add some gloss to your battle, so take full advantage.

Lastly, this is also a good place to remind you that Trainers aren't always single-minded in battle. They're still human (unless, of course, you have a darn good reason for them not to be). Maybe there's some interpersonal drama or something that won't stay out of their thoughts – tell us about that! How does it affect the Trainer's frame of mind or their ability to focus on the battle at hand?

 **Tip 7 - All good things should come to an equally good end**

If all you had to do was write a battle, you'd be good to go. However, your battle has to come from somewhere and go somewhere after it ends. Leading in and out of battles is often something of a pain point for authors like me who get _really_ excited about cool battle scenes. We get to the end and then think 'oh, shoot, what now'.

This is something I'm personally still trying to improve upon, so forgive me if this tip is a bit rough. If you have some ideas about this that you think are better than what I've got, please leave them in a review for all to see!

Lead-ins and lead-outs are a good time to focus on your Trainer's mindset. Here's a quick couple of examples of what I mean;

Don't do this:

"Alright, Amy", said Elesa, "let's get started!"

"Okay", Amy nodded and took her place in the Trainer's box, "Go, Lucario!"

Spice it up! Try something like this:

"Hey there, you must be Amy", Elesa greeted her with a warm smile, "are you ready to get started?"

"I...Yes, yes I am."

Amy's trembling hands gave her away, though, and as the young Trainer took a shuddering breath, Elesa put a kindly hand on the girl's shoulder, offering a few words of well-placed advice;

"It's okay to feel nervous; that doesn't make you weak. Even I feel nervous before a big battle! Just remember; this battle isn't about me. It's not about the crowd. It's not about whether you get a badge at the end. This battle is about you and your team, alright? Everything else is secondary."

This didn't do much to calm Amy's racing heart, but it gave her brain something to latch onto.

 _Me and my team. The rest can wait._

Elesa could see her words had been well received, and she turned to take her customary place at one end of the field as Amy stepped, her face determined and focused, into the opposing Trainer box.

"Alright", called the Rookie, "let's show what we've got! Lucario, I need you!"

That second example was better for several reasons. First; it's by far more engaging. We've also added that much more impetus and context to the upcoming Gym battle. Do Amy's nerves betray her newfound focus? Does Elesa's calm demeanor hold up when (if) Amy puts her in a tight spot? We've made the battle _matter_ a lot more than just, 'hey, look, a Gym battle'.

The emotions and questions we've generated can also be reused later as a lead-out. If Amy wins, she can thank Elesa for the advice, and use that to grow as a Trainer in future matchups. If she loses, maybe because she was too worried about Elesa's words, perhaps she feels some bitterness to Elesa for advice gone wrong. So many possibilities; and all because we added some sparkle to the battle's lead-in.

 **Put 'em together and what have you got?**

"Ah, don't worry about me, Erika", smirked Kylian as he marched up to the Lumiose Gym, brimming with confidence in the bright midday sun, "I've never lost a Gym match before, and I've got four badges!"

"How could I forget?" His Kantoan friend rolled her eyes with an exhausted grin, "You've reminded me three times since breakfast."

The excitable Hoenn native ignored her jibe and strutted his way into the Gym proper. Bonnie knew he was coming, and was waiting in the lobby, chatting with Serena via phone call.

"Anyway, congratulations again on Braixen evolving! I'll be rooting for you and Shauna this weekend, I'm so excited! I have to go now, though, there's a challenger here. Bye bye!"

The short, bright blonde skipped across the room to greet the two Rookies;

"Hi there! Good to see you two again! You're here for Kylian's challenge, aren't you?"

"You bet!" The young man was raring to go, "Come on, time's wasting, let's go! I need to get to Clemont while I'm still in the zone!"

"Kylian!" Erika frowned at her friend's blatant show of disrespect, "That's so rude! You can't just _assume_ you'll beat Bonnie!"

Turning to the Gym Leader's younger sister, Erika apologized, "I'm really sorry about him. I promise he's not _trying_ to be mean…"

As a Gym assistant, Bonnie had seen it all. Kylian's remark rolled off her shoulders like water. She shrugged;

"No worries. I've fought people like him before."

With a wink, Bonnie whispered to the Grass specialist, "Big brother has, too, and he's _real_ good at taking them down a peg."

Erika nodded sagely. She'd seen her mother take on headstrong challengers before, and knew that overconfidence was a dangerous weakness that any adept Leader could exploit to great advantage.

Nevertheless, she was still rooting for her fiery friend as he stepped into the box opposite Bonnie.

 _He can be a jerk at times_ , she noted to herself, _but I know his heart's in the right place. Besides, he really needs this..._

"Okay", called Bonnie, "same rules as yesterday! You ready to face my team of cuties? I'll start with Helioptile!"

"Bring it on, Bonnie! Sceptile, time to rock!"

Kylian's eyes glinted in excitement at the opening matchup; he had a clear power and size advantage. Bonnie saw it too, and she knew she'd have to be quick off the mark.

"Quick Attack, Helioptile!"

Kylian blinked. It took him a split second too long to realize he'd been caught flat-footed, and Sceptile grunted as the hit came in. A cheap shot.

"Grr...Fine, if that's how it's going to be! Sceptile, show them a real Quick Attack!"

His Grass starter all but disappeared as he shot straight through the unfortunate Helioptile. Bonnie pouted slightly as her Pokémon was sent flying. This was not going to end well.

 _Time to change the game_ , she thought.

"Okay, then use Volt Switch!"

Once again, Kylian couldn't counter fast enough. This time he was bewildered by the name;

 _Volt what now? What is she - hey!_

Sceptile threw up his arms to deflect the hit, but the Littleroot Trainer's eyes shot wide open when Helioptile then disappeared back into its Pokéball.

"Hey! That's cheating, you're not allowed to switch out!"

In the stands, Erika sighed heavily. Clearly, her travel companion hadn't been paying attention yesterday, when Clemont had used the same trick against her.

"It's perfectly legal", sniffed Bonnie with her nose in the air as she reached for her belt, "since that's the effect of Volt Switch. It's a fair Pokémon move which allows me to make a change. Now you have to deal with Emolga! Come on out!"

The Sky Squirrel Pokémon burst onto the field with a happy chirp, and Bonnie wasted no time in flipping the script on the Hoenn Trainer.

"Now, Acrobatics!"

"Acrobatics? Uh, Sceptile, Dual Chop! Block that!"

Luckily, Sceptile's speed helped it keep up with Emolga's rapid movement as it came in for Acrobatics. The Forest Pokémon gritted his teeth as the two attacks collided, but was able to press through the super effective move to throw Emolga away.

"Don't give up!" Bonnie encouraged her Electric type, and Emolga immediately zipped into another Acrobatics. Kylian narrowed his eyes; was there some trick coming?

"Keep blocking, Sceptile, keep a careful eye on it!"

Using Leaf Blade, Sceptile was able to block the next Acrobatics, but Emolga just wouldn't quit. Eventually, Sceptile lost track of it, and instantly took a full-blown hit from Emolga's most effective move. It didn't end there, either; Emolga had a vicious streak that belied its cuteness. Seeing its opening, it launched another Acrobatics, and another. Sceptile got no respite until he'd taken three solid Flying type hits from the speedy Sky Squirrel Pokémon.

"Dang it", Kylian clenched his fist, "Sceptile, get back in there! Fury Cutter!"

The Grass type was in pain, and was also rather offended at having been forced back by this puny opponent. His Fury Cutter proved that he was not to be taken lightly as he chased Emolga around the arena, landing several heavy hits in response.

His confidence returning with each small success, Kylian called out his finishing move;

"Alright, end it with Dual Chop!"

After being batted around the field, Emolga was too exhausted to dodge, and went down in a heap.

"Hmm, Emolga return!"

Bonnie smiled as she recalled her downed Pokémon, "You did great, Emolga. Thanks. Okay, Helioptile, you're back in!"

"Hah! Mega Drain, Sceptile!"

"Not so fast, you!" Bonnie winked and pulled out yet another tricky combination, "Quick Attack!"

As Quick Attack took Helioptile safely away from the dangerous Mega Drain, Kylian's eyes narrowed. This was far more trouble than he'd expected.

"Stop it, Sceptile, Pursuit!"

"Now, Helioptile! Mud Slap!"

Helioptile, at Bonnie's instruction, was able to predict Sceptile's Pursuit and stuff a Mud Slap directly into his face that left the Forest Pokémon reeling and temporarily blinded.

"Perfect, Helioptile, now Pound and another Mud Slap!"

Sceptile roared in rage. He was almost free of the aggravating mud from the initial hit when Helioptile slammed into him, knocking him over before yet another muddy blast worsened his disorientation.

"Yes! Now, Pound again!"

A half-idea flashed into Kylian's mind and he had not time to second-guess it;

"Straight in front, Sceptile! Leaf Blade!"

The Grass type obeyed without question, and was satisfied to feel the connection as Leaf Blade rocked the incoming Helioptile. It was down without question. Somehow, Kylian had turned the match around and was now two up on Bonnie.

"Hmm, good job", the blonde girl complimented, "but you're not done yet. I've still got my cutest Pokémon! Dedenne, let's do this!"

Dedenne was the least threatening Pokémon Kylian could imagine, but he was still concerned; Sceptile was still having trouble seeing, and he had to admit that Bonnie was tougher than she looked.

"Get in there fast, Sceptile! Leaf Blade straight ahead!"

"Easy, Dedenne! Thunder Wave!"

Up in the stands, Erika shook her head. Kylian had fallen for that one hook, line, and sinker.

"Hmm", came a voice just behind her, "your friend certainly has some bold strategies. I'm excited to see what he can come up with against Dedenne."

"Oh", Erika started just a bit, but regained her composure to greet the Lumiose Leader, "Hi there, Clemont. Come to watch your sister battle?"

"Yes I have", he replied, never once removing his eyes from the unfolding fight below, "I'm always very proud to see her improving. Perhaps she'll be ready in a few years to take the next step."

Erika was curious at this, but her words caught in her throat as the battle between Bonnie and Kylian took yet another twist;

"Dedenne, time to Play Rough!"

Blinded and paralyzed, Sceptile had no defense for the powerful Fairy move, and the proud Forest Pokémon at last hit the floor, knocked out.

"Hey, that was really good", called Bonnie in encouragement as Kylian returned his fallen starter, "Your Sceptile is a really strong fighter and he trusts you a whole lot!"

"Thanks, but there's more to come! Pyroar, let's go!"

"Thunderbolt!"

Pyroar was caught unawares as Dedenne fired off a quick, probing Thunderbolt. Despite the cheap shot, Kylian was ready to go to town on the small Electric type.

"Shake that off, Pyroar! Show me a Hyper Voice, then Flamethrower!"

It was a devastating combo that left Dedenne severely damaged and disoriented. Still, Bonnie refused to admit defeat.

"Dedenne, Nuzzle!"

With a grimace, the Antenna Pokémon jumped straight into Pyroar, electricity crackling from its cheeks. The Fire type tried to swipe its opponent away with an alert paw, but the half-Fairy was quite nimble and ducked underneath it to paralyze and damage the Royal Pokémon.

"Come on, Pyroar! We're just going to have to grit this one out! Get in there with a Fire Fang!"

With a savage roar, Kylian's loyal battler sprang across the field, still more than capable of chasing down the elusive Dedenne through the paralysis. As his flaming jaws clamped down on the smaller Pokémon, Kylian called his follow-up;

"Now throw it and Hyper Voice!"

Pyroar gave an almighty heave of his head and Dedenne went flying helplessly.

"Try Thunderbolt!"

Dedenne tried to steady itself at Bonnie's command, but was unable to properly direct its attack. It took the impressive Hyper Voice head on, and crashed to the ground, unconscious.

"Well", Bonnie wore a sad grin, "That was a good fight, and it looks like you'll get to battle big brother after all, Kylian."

Up in the stands, Clemont watched carefully, nodding slowly in approval.

"Yep", he muttered, "She'll definitely be ready before too much longer."

"Hey, I meant to ask you something", Erika turned to the Leader after politely applauding Kylian's victory, "You said she'll be ready for 'the next step'. What's the plan for her?"

"Well, naturally she'd be a great replacement for me as a Gym Leader, don't you think?"

Erika's eyes shot open wide, "You're retiring? But – but you're way too young for that!"

"Hehe...not retiring exactly."

Clemont's glasses glinted as he gave an almost mischievous smirk;

"Wikstrom has been talking about leaving the Elite Four, and I would really like to be his replacement. After all, there's never been an Elite Four member who specializes in Electric types! That would leave space for Bonnie to step up here at the Gym. I'm quite proud of her improvement; she'll definitely be ready to fill my shoes before too long."

He turned on his heel, before seeming to remember one last thing;

"Please keep all this to yourself, won't you? As the daughter of a fellow Leader, I feel okay telling you, but this isn't quite general knowledge as of yet."

"Oh, o-of course", the Grass-type specialist was breathless at the news, but a promise was a promise. She'd keep it on the down-low. The Kanto native stood and followed Clemont as he made his way out of the stands.

"Erika, hey!"

Kylian's smile was full of childish exuberance the instant he spotted his friend.

"What'd you think of my battle? Pretty neat, huh?"

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Erika played rather coy;

"Oh, I don't know, you did fall for some classic Electric-type tricks."

His face fell slightly at her reproach, but he tried again, desperate to impress his travelling companion;

"Well, yeah, but I still worked through it. I got the win in the end. That's what counts!"

She couldn't resist a giggle. His romance tactics were about as obvious as his battle strategies.

 _Oh, Kylian_ , she thought with a sigh, _you're trying so hard to impress me, but...honestly, if you'd just hurry and ask me out I'd say yes in a heartbeat. Ugh, boys…_

The pair of Rookies joked back and forth a while longer as Kylian waited for his team to be healed. As the time for his showdown with Clemont approached, however, the Littleroot native became more and more subdued. His laughter faded. His brows creased. He did his best to maintain the outward confidence that was his hallmark, but...Erika knew better.

 _He's a bundle of nerves under that fake smile. It's no wonder, considering what's at stake for him..._

"Hey", she tried to help, "you know you can win this, right? Just be careful and alert and-"

"I know!" Kylian snapped, "Ah, sorry...Didn't mean it like that...I meant, I know Clemont's tough, and I can beat him, but – well, there's a good reason everyone's afraid of earning this badge. Whew, okay, I can do this. I – I don't have much choice. I have to win."

As Clemont came into view, beckoning Kylian with a curt nod, Erika took the chance to give him a quick hug.

"Good luck."

"I don't need luck", he shot back unconvincingly. That was the last she saw of him as he disappeared into the tunnel leading onto the field. She took a deep breath, nervous now for his sake, and returned to her place in the stands. She was soon joined by Bonnie, though the two girls had little time to talk as the battle was started right on time. Clemont made the first call;

"Magneton, you're in!"

"Sceptile, let's go!"

Kylian gritted his teeth immediately. There wasn't much Sceptile could do to a Steel type.

 _Even my off-type moves like Dual Chop and Fury Cutter are ineffective. Dang…_

As the challenger paused, Clemont grinned and took the initiative;

"Hm-hm! I thought you would use your Grass type first, so I decided to show you just how versatile Electric type Pokémon can be! Magneton, use Magnet Bomb!"

"Umm... get out the way! Dodge, Sceptile!"

As Kylian scrambled to employ evasive maneuvers, Bonnie frowned from the stands;

"He knows he can switch out, right? He's got a Pyroar…"

"Yeah", Erika nodded, "but he's trying to force this matchup because he thinks he's invincible. He can't admit he got it wrong."

After a few missed Magnet Bombs, Kylian tried to go on the offensive;

"Get in with a Leaf Blade!"

"You can take it, Magneton! Thunderbolt!"

As Leaf Blade barely scratched the Magnet Pokémon's steely body, Thunderbolt slammed into Sceptile's chest. It wasn't the most effective hit, but it still packed a punch, and it gave the Leader an opportunity to build even more of an advantage.

"Now, Magneton! Electric Terrain!"

As Kylian's Forest Pokémon shook his head to recover, the whole battlefield took on a telltale yellow glow, and crackling sparks flashed about randomly.

 _Crap_ , thought Kylian, _He's buffed up all his favorite moves, and I've got nothing._

Still, he couldn't just give up, right? There was too much riding on this.

"Get back in there, Sceptile, we're not done yet! Dual Chop!"

The Dragon type move at least got Magenton's attention, and Sceptile smirked with pride. Unfortunately, he had just convinced the Steel type to take him seriously. The Grass starter's eyes widened as Magneton turned to face him;

"Respond with Tri-Attack!"

The Normal attack sent Sceptile flying back before he could even think about dodging. He was still okay to fight on, but Kylian at last bit the proverbial bullet and made a change.

"Sceptile...Ugh, return for now. Pyroar, you're in next!"

"Aha!" Clemont nodded in approval as Kylian's Royal Pokémon burst proudly into battle, "A Fire type. That's a much smarter choice. You should know that Magneton still won't go down easily, though! Magnet Bomb!"

Pyroar had the type advantage, but wasn't as fast as Sceptile. He dodged the first Magnet Bomb, but was pummeled mercilessly by the next two before Kylian recovered the situation;

"Take control, Pyroar! Hyper Voice into Flamethrower!"

Hyper Voice did very little damage, of course, but it stopped the barrage of Magnet Bomb attacks long enough to leave Magneton open for a direct hit from Flamethrower. Both fighters showed visible signs of their exertion as they squared up once again. This time it was Kylian who made the first move;

"Don't let him recover, Pyroar! Fire Fang!"

"Use Shock Wave, Magneton!"

Kylian had tried to close the distance, but Clemont's Electric Terrain-boosted Shock Wave was fierce enough to beat back the onrushing Fire type with ease.

"You got this, Pyroar! Flamethrower, again!"

This time Magneton had no answer, and Pyroar's strongest move brought it crashing down to the floor, unconscious.

"Magneton, return", called Clemont calmly, "That was very good, Kylian. Your adjustment worked perfectly, once you made it. Still, I promised to show you the versatility of Electric Pokémon, so I wonder how you'll deal with my next one; go, Heliolisk!"

As the Generator Pokémon flexed its frill in preparation for battle, Kylian snapped into action once again.

"Lead with Hyper Voice, then follow in with Fire Fang!"

"Heliolisk, dodge!"

Heliolisk was much faster than Kylian was prepared to deal with, but he tried to counter off the top of his head;

"Uh, turn and Flamethrower, Pyroar!"

Somehow, through a stroke of luck, Pyroar's aim was perfect, and Heliolisk slammed right into the waiting blast of flame.

 _Perfect_ , thought the Hoenn native, _This is where things turn in my favor. Badge five, here I come! I have to earn that prize money..._

"Hmm, nice hit, Kylian, but watch this. Parabolic Charge!"

Pyroar's chest was heaving, both from damage and from the exertion of so many Flamethrower attacks. He stopped moving for just a second, and Heliolisk took full advantage. The Electric type's neck frilled flashed out, and Kylian's Royal Pokémon gave a pained roar as his energy was sapped away and used to heal Clemont's Pokémon.

"What?"

"Parabolic Charge lets me leech your Pokémon's health", Clemont explained proudly, "Not unlike a Mega Drain or a Leech Seed. Handy, don't you think?"

"I - grr, get in close and Crunch it!"

Clemont shook his head and responded easily, "Again, Heliolisk. Dodge and use Parabolic Charge."

This time, the move wasn't as powerful, since the effects of Electric Terrain were at last wearing off, but it didn't matter. Pyroar gave one last groan before falling over, knocked out.

"That's okay", Kylian told himself, "I'm still in this. I need you again, Sceptile!"

The Grass type emerged in a flash, still damaged from fighting Magneton, but no less ready to fight.

"Quick Attack, Sceptile! Don't let it get away!"

"Now Razor Wind, Heliolisk!"

Sceptile couldn't pull off in time, and collided head first with Razor Wind. Clemont took the opportunity to press his advantage;

"Use Thunder!"

"NO! Sceptile, you have to get up! Use Pursuit!"

The Dark type move gave Sceptile the chance to escape Thunder and land a sneak attack on Heliolisk, who went sprawling awkwardly.

"That was a good tactic", Clemont noted, "but it won't save you from Parabolic Charge!"

He was right. Kylian's starter was defenseless as his health was sapped.

 _He'll be hoping I back off to think_ , Kylian guessed, _Time to be unpredictable._

"No time for a break, Sceptile! Dual Chop!"

He'd guessed correctly. Heliolisk tried to leap out of the way as the relentless Grass type came charging in yet again, but this time it wasn't enough, as the Dragon move slammed it into the wall, leaving it dazed.

"Follow it, Sceptile! Leaf Blade!"

As the Forest Pokémon prepared the vicious blow, Clemont found an answer;

"Grass Knot! Parabolic Charge!"

 _No way! Grass Knot?_

Sure enough, the unexpected Grass move flashed out, taking Sceptile's feet from underneath him before another Parabolic Charge left him dangerously weak. Still, the proud fighter forced himself up, just barely, prepared to give every possible effort to find victory.

"Sceptile...return."

Kylian closed his eyes and said with clear difficulty, "I...I withdraw Sceptile from the battle. He's too weak to go on, and I don't want him to get injured."

"An excellent decision", nodded Clemont, "I'm glad you were able to recognize that. No victory is worth risking injury to your Pokémon partners. Very well, Kylian, call your final Pokémon!"

Kylian released his Pangoro and settled back into the battle as Erika commented in the stands, half to Bonnie and half to herself;

"That was a big decision. I was really scared he'd make Sceptile try to keep going."

"Yeah", Bonnie gave a half-smile, "You know, I thought he was just a hothead at first, but I guess there's more to him after all."

"Yep", Erika felt her cheeks flush slightly "He comes off that way, but...it's only because he's scared to death of letting his family down. Most of the money he makes as a Trainer gets sent straight back to Littleroot. Especially now that...well...never mind."

Bonnie was reduced to silence at this. Never would she have imagined such a deep reason for the overpowering sense of confidence and urgency in the boy's battling. Unsure of what to say, she turned her attention back to the battle going on below.

On the field, Pangoro was doing a decent job tanking his way through Heliolisk's lighter hits, while denying any opportunity to land the larger moves, especially Parabolic Charge.

"Another Quick Attack, Heliolisk!"

"Pangoro, step out and Low Sweep!"

Heliolisk couldn't adjust his trajectory, and the half-Normal type went sprawling. Clemont's speedster was worn out from the effort it was taking to chip away at the massive Pangoro, who was never quite far enough behind for a killer move, like Thunder.

Sure enough, the Daunting Pokémon came lumbering in as Heliolisk pulled himself laboriously off the ground.

"Grass Knot, Heliolisk!"

"Low Sweep it away!"

It was a tough ask, and required Pangoro to take yet another hit, but the big fighter obeyed unquestioningly. He swept his leg straight through the Grass Knot and continued advancing on the cornered Heliolisk.

"Bullet Punch, before he gets away!"

In a flash of action, Heliolisk tried to escape, but Pangoro lunged forward and delivered a mighty Bullet Punch that knocked the Generator Pokémon out of the battle.

"An interesting strategy", commented Clemont, "I appreciate your ability to adapt according to your Pokémon's strengths. I think you'll find my last Pokémon is the hardest to defeat. Luxray, go!"

"Hmph, don't underestimate Pangoro! Go, Low Sweep and Arm Thrust!"

The Daunting Pokémon dug deep, its determination written plainly in its hardened eyes as it charged Clemont's Luxray. Just as the Dark type swung his leg forward for a Low Sweep, Clemont countered in one swift move;

"Jump over, and then use Discharge!"

Luxray's leap carried it safely over Pangoro's attack, and Kylian's last battler was helpless as the Gleam Eyes Pokémon unleashed a barrage of electric energy the likes of which the Hoenn Trainer had never seen.

Pangoro howled as the attack ravaged him, but somehow he found the strength to keep his feet. He knew what was riding on this battle, and he refused to give in.

"Yes, Pangoro!" Kylian's heart was in his throat, "YES! Come on, get a Slash in!"

Luxray wasn't accustomed to fighting such desperate opponents in a Gym match, and grunted in surprise as Pangoro flew in with a reckless Slash attack that struck home.

"An astonishing recovery", noted Clemont, his eyes narrowed, "I commend you for your resolve. Luxray, use Electric Terrain, then Wild Charge!"

Kylian knew his Pokémon was too exhausted to take advantage of the opening presented by Luxray's Electric Terrain setup.

 _I...I'm going to lose...no! They're counting on me! But...what can I do?_

"Gah...Bullet Punch!"

It was a useless gesture. When the dust cleared, Pangoro was already stumbling, its face a pained grimace. Luxray gave a snort as the recoil damage took effect, but shrugged it off easily.

As one, Pangoro and Kylian fell to their knees. Bonnie's brow furrowed as she saw a look of abject sorrow pass from the Daunting Pokémon back to its Trainer;

 _What's going on? There's something here that's bigger than just losing a Gym challenge._

She turned to ask Erika, only to find the Kanto girl's eyes brimming with tears.

"Erika", she began softly, "please tell me...why did Kylian need to win so badly?"

Down on the field, Clemont was similarly concerned as he crossed the field to offer a handshake and some words of advice to his defeated challenger.

"Kylian, that was a great battle. I'm certain that with a little more training you'll be ready to earn a badge, no problem. Are – are you alright?"

The young man's voice trembled as he replied;

"Who cares if _I'm_ alright...Bria…"

Without another word, the Littleroot Trainer turned and sprinted from the arena, leaving Clemont completely baffled.

Erika saw her fiend dash off, and turned to Bonnie, unable to keep her tears in check;

"Kylian's little sister is in the hospital back in Littleroot! But – but Team Magma took over the hospital and they won't let Bria get the operation she needs unless Kylian sends the money from all eight of his Gym victories! He's running out of time!"

Leaving Bonnie stunned and horrified, Erika turned and ran off to find Kylian.

"That's...that's unthinkable", muttered Bonnie in disbelief. She couldn't imagine such cruelty. With a shake of her head, she felt a fierce sense of justice flood her mind.

"Clemont", she called desperately, vaulting the wall to get to her sibling, "Big Brother, listen, we have to help them! Come on, I'll explain on the way, follow me!"

 **Wrap-up**

That's what I came up with using the context and notes and preparation we went through together. What did you think? I might have ignored some of my own advice at times, but in general I hope you can see how I used the various elements I discussed to put the scene together.

I won't go through it all again post-mortem, but if you have any questions feel free to message me and ask away! I won't claim to be perfect, so if you have different advice then please, by all means, leave a review. I hope that this helps the general Pokémon fanfiction community.

As a final note, feel free to take and use any of these example characters (except Milo, he's already got a story, which you can find from my profile). In fact, if you want to write their stories or use them anywhere else, please let me know so that I can follow along, I'd love to see them become fully fleshed out OC's in their own right!

As always, I'll end by reminding you that Pokémon isn't mine, and by thanking you for taking the time to read my work. Ciao, good people!


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